Who's Going Home With You Tonight?

When her alarm went off the next morning, Tiana reached over and nearly knocked it off her bedside table. The last thing she wanted to do was crawl out of bed, get dressed and go to work, where she would be under everyone's watch.

Her phone began to ring, and she buried her head under her pillow, praying for everyone to just go away for a little while. But her prayer wasn't answered. Once her land line quit ringing, her cell started. Groaning outloud she was once again forced out from under the covers to pick up her cell, flipping it open and pressing it to her ear. "I'm up, Shelly."

"Tiana?"

Tiana sat up in bed, her black comforter falling and settling around her hips. "Chuck?" she asked groggily. "Sorry, I figured you were Shelly making sure I was awake."

His soft laugh made her smile. "No, it's just me. I keep forgetting about the three hour time difference. I was phoning to see how you were doing. I just learned that you got an interesting phone call last night."

She sighed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her bare feet brushing against her slippers. Instead she kickedthem aside and padded barefoot into her kitchen to quickly make breakfast. "Yes, I did. I hung up on him though." She reached for the bag of bagels laying on the counter near the bowl of fruit as she listened to Chuck sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, he actually remembered that part. Anyway he's sorry Tia."

She reached for a knife and cut her bagel in half to put it in the toaster. "No he's not, Chuck. If he was sorry, he would have called to apologize."

"He's so frustrating lately." Chuck admitted more to himself than to Tiana.

She grabbed a butter knife and her strawberry cream cheese from the fridge while she waited for him to continue but he didn't. "There isn't much I can do about it, Chuck."

"I know," he said. "David and I were talking the other night and we think, well actually, we know you're the reason he isn't the same. Is there any way you could call him and just talk?"

The toaster popped. She pulled her bagel from it and placed it on a plate, quickly spreading some of the cream cheese over top so it'd melt. "And say what to him, Chuck? Oh hey it's me, the girlfriend that you left. I just wanna see how you're holding up. Do you miss me?" She put the cream cheese away. "I don't think so. He left me not the other way around. I should be the only one upset."

He sighed again. "I know, Tia and I'm sorry. You and him were like a damn fairy tale you know. Love at first sight kind of deal. I just wished you two were still together."

She tipped her head back in thought. Don't do this to me Chuck. Not now. I haven't cried yet this morning and I really don't wanna start now.

"I wished we were to," she whispered.

"Hey, Tia. I have to go the guys are back from breakfast," he paused, "ummm we have an interview tonight but I'll call you after that okay?"

She hated that they had to talk around Pierre, but there seemed to be no other way. "Alright, I'll talk to you later. Bye, Chuck." She flipped her phone shut and set it on the counter before taking a minute to regroup herself. She was pissed off, but she wasn't. If the boys were going to start to blame her for Pierre's attitude change they had another think coming. Pierre was the only one who could change himself, therefore he was the only one to blame. At least that was the logic that seemed to calm her.

After quickly eating her bagel she hurried to her room and dressed in a pair of snug jeans, a large double holed belt, a Metallica T-Shirt, black heels and a sport jacket. After a double check in the mirror she threw on some light make-up and hurried out of her apartment building to the underground garage. She was just getting into her car when her cell rang again. This time it was Shelly. She flipped it open and pressed it to her ear as she turned the ignition over. "Hey, I'm on my way."

"About time." Shelly laughed. "Don't worry about stopping for our coffee, I was up a little earlier and grabbed it for us on my way over."

"You're an angel." Tiana said as she slid on her seatbelt and headed for the exit. "I will see you in about ten minutes."

While her morning prayers hadn't stopped her phone from ringing, they had been answered in respect to morning traffic. The minimal amount of cars on the road at six am had allowed her to arrive at work half an hour early.

Once inside the building that was built specifically for their magazine, she headed through security, swiped her ID card and hopped on the elevator. And like the good friend she is, Shelly was waiting on the other side of the doors coffee in hand when the opened up.

"Thank you so much." Tiana smiled and took her coffee, not even waiting a moment before taking a much needed sip.

Shelly smirked. "You're gonna need a bigger drink than that."

They wandered down the hall towards Tiana's office and she felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Why? What's up?" she asked cautiously.

Shelly closed the door behind them before taking a seat in one of the padded chairs across from Tiana's desk. "Well, I ran into the boss lady before you got here. She wants a great big concert article with pictures and an indepth interview."

Tiana frowned as she sank into her chair. "What the hell does she want that for?"

Shelly smiled and crossed one leg over the other. "She claims that we're doing a great job, but our column isn't big enough for what we wanted to do. So she's gonna make it bigger."

Tiana leaned back in her chair slightly and grinned. "Bigger is better," she winked playfully. "But this also means we get to spend more time out in the field again, hangin with the bands and going to shows."

"Damn rights we do. So how are we going to get in there? Get into their lives. Show fans around the scene like they're really there."

"Well, what if we actually put them there? Like a concert ticket give away. That way we can also see how they interact with their fans." She sat forward in her chair and placed her coffee cup on her desk. "Of we could do the article from a fan's point of view?"

"That's good. But we need to go bigger. What if we give them like a whole package?"

Tia urged her with a wave of her hand. "Go on."

"Like a limo ride, pre-part on the bus. Front row seats to the show and backstage passes for the after party."

Tiana tapped her pen on her desk. "That's brilliant. Now the ultimate question...what band do we choose?"

"Simple Plan is perfect." Shelly grinned and leaned back into her chair.

Tiana sighed. She should have seen that one coming. It did seem the most logical, but the most un-logical at the same time. "Shelly, you know very well that I can't do that."

"Why not?" she pleaded.

"Because you of all people know that my connection with them was terminated."

Shelly spun around inher chair. "Oh com on Tia. Your connection with Pierre might have been terminated, nice choice of word by the way, but you're still friends with the rest of the guys. Plus you know their managaer and producer and engineer and shit like that. I'm sure you could get us like four measly tickets. Plus, it's publicity for both of us. And the only way kids can get their hands on these tickets is to buy our magazine.

"I don't suppose you'd take another journalist with you?"

"No way in hell." Shelly stated firmly. "It's gotta be you or I'm not doing it either."

"I don't know." Tiana leaned her head back and though about it.

"Oh please, Tia." Shelly whined as she pushed the phone across the desk closer to her friend. "Please don't make the rest of us Simple Plan fans suffer."

Tiana growled under her breath before beginning to dial Chuck's cell number. "If this works, you so owe me. If not, you most definitley can't blame me."

God she hoped Chick would be busy and wouldn't answer is phone. But that damn soft part of her also wanted him to answer. She wanted a reason to see Pierre again.